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Soldier stationed in Afghanistan watches birth of son via Skype

Genevieve Rasik hopes more hospitals will help military wives in labor

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Updated: 7:36 AM EST Dec 27, 2013

A Treasure Coast soldier stationed in Afghanistan is able to watch the birth of his son back in Stuart via Skype.

Soldier stationed in Afghanistan watches birth of son via Skype

Genevieve Rasik hopes more hospitals will help military wives in labor

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Updated: 7:36 AM EST Dec 27, 2013

STUART, Fla. —

It's lunchtime in Genevieve Rasik's Port St. Lucie kitchen. The menu is ham and peas for the 1-year-old twins and a nap for the newborn.

"Michael, are you hungry?" the military mom asks her oldest son while grabbing a bottle for Benjamin, just a few weeks old.

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Rasik does this and dozens of other mommy tasks each day without her husband around to help.

Daniel Rasik serves in the 10th Mountain Division for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. He'd love to be home, but this year, he's been deployed for months.

"With him being gone, it's harder emotionally and physically not having him here," Genevieve Rasik told WPBF 25 News.

But nothing would be as hard as delivering the couple's newest child without dad there to share in the experience. Genevieve Rasik went into labor in mid-November at Martin Memorial Medical Center in Stuart.

"I was really nervous going in thinking, 'I'm going to be alone,'" she said.

But thanks to doctors at the hospital, with some help from an iPad, Daniel Rasik was able to witness the birth live via Skype.

"He was there," Genevieve Rasik said. "It really felt like he was there."

Doctors said it was the first time they've done something like that.

"Because of Skype or because of Face Time, with technology, there's no reason why they couldn't," Genevieve Rasik said. "And I hope that our story can help other military wives or begin to open a conversation in the medical community that we should allow this."